Melanie Fontana

By starrymag | January 7, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound? 

 

A) My sound is conversational pop.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences? 

 

A) I’ve been influenced by an eclectic gaggle of artists from Etta James to James Taylor, from Mariah Carey to The Spice Girls to Britney Spears. I have always loved Christina Aguilera and grew up in my early years listening to The Monkees and Queen. As a teen, I loved a lot of pop punk stuff, as well. Blink-182, Green Day and Boys Like Girls have always been a huge deal for me.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind the song “Euphoria” that you co-wrote for BTS. What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to? 

 

A) Writing “Euphoria” was such a fun time and a huge deal for me. I was brought into the studio to co-write this tune with a great friend of mine who also happened to have some connections to the incredible BTS team. When we wrote the song (initially), we didn’t have a super clear picture of who it might be for, but we knew it was big. I got goosebumps the first time we listened back to our finished idea. I think melodically, it’s extremely memorable. “Euphoria” is very much a “sing a long” for fans. The melody is big enough and catch enough that even if you don’t happen to speak Korean, you can sing along anyway!

 

Q) Tell us about your latest work writing Loren Gray’s new single “Kick You Out” and co-writing Wengie’s new holiday single “Ugly Christmas Sweater.” 

 

A) Wengie is such a studio goddess. She always comes in to work so well prepared. Collaborating with her on “UCS” for the holiday season really jingles my heart bells. We’ve got SO much more coming out together in 2019. As far as “Kick You Out” goes, well, that was a pleasant surprise! In the songwriting world, Loren’s is one of those loudly-buzzing projects where a lot of very talented people are writing song after song trying to be a part of it. I’m lucky that Capitol Records chose my song as a single. It was even more satisfying because Loren Gray and I actually went in to the studio together to write “Kick You Out.” Lyrically, we ensured it had big doses of truth and personal meaning to her. Loren is wise beyond her years.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) If I’m writing along, I will usually start off with a title or a concept first. My melodies are often times birthed from the feeling an idea or a lyric bestows upon me. If I’m co-writing, I tend to just go with whatever makes my co-writer feel comfy. I am convinced that comfort & peace in a studio breeds great music.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) A pretty large one, if I do say so myself. My opinion matters. This is something I had to use as a mantra in order to learn it as fact. Some people believe that just because a person doesn’t physically make the beat, that their ideas about how a beat should sound are less important. That’s not true! Ideas can be amazing for a track no matter who comes up with them. I do; however, always respect the producers process and craft; I’m never pushy. I oftentimes don’t ever need to say much about a track during a writing session, but when I feel that we’ve gone off the edge and it doesn’t feel right, I will definitely use my voice and speak up.

 

Q) What are some of your memorable moments from working on Aaron Carter’s album Love? 

 

A) Performing with him at PRIDE last year. We got this awesome tent and Aaron was delivered a piece of art that Michael Jackson left to him in his will. That day, we sang a bunch of songs off the album & I even got to sing an original (still unreleased!) song. What a beautiful experience.

 

Q) Will you be releasing any of your own singles or an EP/album in the near future? 

 

A) I have some upcoming EDM features. One that was actually just released is a tune called “Never Be Enough” by John Dahlbäck. I wrote it a few years ago with my friend Joleen Belle and last month John shocked us both by at long last releasing it! I put out a cover of “The Christmas Song;” it’ll be spinning all December. It’s out on YouTube and SoundCloud and is available on Apple Music and Amazon Music as of Dec. 8th!

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to write or perform, and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) I love sitting in my own home studio with my husband (who is my main production partner) drinking coffee and cooking up ideas. It’s the first studio that we truly built from the ground up; it used to be a garage! We meticulously designed it to be the bright and inspiring place in our home.

 

Q) You have worked with some amazing artists like Daya, Britney Spears, The Chainsmokers, Drake Bell, Juan Magan, BTS & more. Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future? 

 

A) I’d love to get back in with The Chainsmokers. We stay in touch but have yet to work in a few years. Hey guys! Let’s go! [laughs]

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I will forever and always be spinning Mariana’s Trench’s Ever After As for newer stuff, give me all the BLACKPINK “Kiss & Make Up” f/Dua Lipa. I also adore Ariana’s cover of “Goodnight & Go.”

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans? 

 

A) Social media is a blessing and a curse for artists like myself. If you’re anything like me, you sometimes get stuck comparing careers and wondering, in regards to other people’s success, “Wtf, how did THAT person pull THAT OFF?!” and that can make for some pretty sad and stupid moments where you miss out on REAL life. Aside from that, Instagram is not only the best way to be face to face with your people, but it’s the 2018 business card. It’s your personality in bite-size.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work? 

 

A) Holy crap, I am so thankful you care. Please keep caring. I love that and you.